Notre Dame Athletics
Notre Dame Ensures Series Win With Game 2 Victory Over Presbyterian
Notre Dame (6-2) ensured a series victory with a convincing 10-4 victory at Presbyterian in game two of a three-game set against the Blue Hose.
The Fighting Irish jumped all over Presbyterian with a three-run first inning. Center fielder Spencer Myers led the game off with a double down the right field line, and scored on an error two batters later.
First baseman Niko Kavadas stayed hot in the series, blasting a two-run home run to right center one batter later. It was his third home run of the series.
Catcher Jack Alexander added to the lead in the second inning by lacing a double down the left field line to drive in third baseman Jack Brannigan, who got on base with a walk before moving over to second on a balk.
Brannigan homered to lead off the fourth inning, but Presbyterian touched up Irish starter Alex Rao for three runs in the bottom of the inning to make it a 5-3 game. Rao gave up back-to-back doubles to allow the Blue Hose to get on the board, and Rao allowed another run in with a wild pitch before a Landon Shaw knocked in the third run with a single.
The Irish picked Rao in the top of the fifth as left fielder drove in right fielder Brooks Coetzee with a two-out single.
Rao was replaced in the fifth as three Irish relievers allowed just one run over the final five innings. Junior right hander Joe Boyle got the win, pitching 2 1/3 innings, giving up just one run despite allowing four walks. Boyle struck out five to earn his first win of the season.
Notre Dame tacked on three runs in the top of the ninth to put even more distance between them and the home team. Irish pitchers struck out 14 Blue Hose batters.
The Irish offense pounded out 16 hits in the win. Myers and Alexander collected three hits each, and three other hitters had two hits. In fact, only second baseman Jared Miller failed to collect a hit in the win.
Notre Dame and Presbyterian will play the final game of the three-game set on Sunday, with the first pitch set for 11:00 AM (Eastern). The Irish will go with redshirt freshman Will Mercer as they go for the series sweep.
